To be fair, Alaric didn't dislike Anderson. Otherwise, his little act of revenge wouldn't have been the playful carrot-and-stick approach but something straight out of Amon's playbook.
Still, watching Anderson, who clearly loathed the idea of a knowledge-fueled nightmare yet had to grit his teeth and accept it for a chance to meet his deity... thanking Alaric despite his obvious frustration... brought Alaric a certain satisfaction.
Hunters really were fun to tease.
"Hello, you must be Edwina Edwards," Alaric said, turning to Edwina after finishing with Anderson. "You probably know us already, but allow me to introduce myself. I'm Jack Jones. You can just call me Jack." His tone was warm and cheerful, like a bright college student.
Though after what just happened, anyone could tell he was a wolf in sheep's clothing, that didn't stop Alaric from keeping up the act.
Klein and Lil' Amon followed suit with their own introductions.
"Hello, Mr. Jack, Mr. Gehrman, Mr. Lil' Amon. I'm Edwina Edwards. You may call me Edwina," Vice Admiral Iceberg replied, introducing herself. She continued, "Cattleya has already informed me of why you're here. If I understand correctly, you wish to purchase Groselle's Travels."
As she spoke, she pulled out a booklet clearly bound in parchment. "This is Groselle's Travels. It came from a shipwreck at the bottom of the sea…"
Edwina briefly explained the book's origins and contents, summarizing it as the story of a group of adventurers battling a frost dragon.
Alaric's gaze followed her introduction to the parchment-bound book. He knew exactly what it was. On the surface, it seemed like an ordinary adventure tale, but its origins were far from simple. It was almost certainly a manifestation of the divine kingdom of the ancient Dragon of Imagination, likely containing a contingency for its resurrection.
Alaric had no particular interest in the Dragon of Imagination itself, but he wanted to study the book to see if it could offer insights into reviving The Ancient Sun God.
After explaining the book's background, Edwina looked at Alaric. "I'm willing to sell it to you at a very reasonable price, but in return, I'd like an answer. I want to know what secrets this book holds. It's a mystery that's puzzled me for years."
Alaric wasn't surprised by her request. With the God of Knowledge and Wisdom's oracle backing them, Edwina couldn't possibly refuse their deal. As a true scholar with an insatiable thirst for knowledge, she naturally wanted to uncover the secrets of Groselle's Travels.
Alaric smiled. "I can tell you the book's secrets. I can even take you inside to experience it firsthand."
Edwina paused, visibly surprised, then adopted a thoughtful expression. After a few seconds, she said hesitantly, "So, this book contains a special space?"
Her conclusion wasn't a wild guess. Groselle's Travels was peculiar... made of materials dating back 3,000 years, yet its story featured characters from various later eras. This suggested it was either a prophetic book or one that consumed its owners, drawing them into its pages to create such an unusual tale.
"You can think even bigger... perhaps an entire realm," Alaric said with a smile, taking Groselle's Travels from Edwina's hands. He casually flipped to a page, his fingertip brushing the paper as a subtle trace of power seeped into it.
A few seconds later, he withdrew his hand, now holding something that looked like a key.
This wasn't an original feature of Groselle's Travels. Alaric had discreetly bypassed the book's defenses, using his own power to craft the key.
It wasn't difficult for him. Though Groselle's Travels was a remnant of the Dragon of Imagination's divine kingdom, the dragon was long dead, leaving the book an unclaimed domain. For Alaric, who had studied under Yog-Sothoth, opening the door to such a place was almost too easy.
"Once Pallez and the others arrive, we can open the door and venture into the book's world," Alaric said unhurriedly, closing the book and looking at the others. "In the meantime, why don't you all think of your titles? Every character in an adventure story needs a striking name."
"I've got this!" Lil' Amon eagerly raised his hand. "I'll be the Angel of Time!"
"Didn't you say you've righteously distanced yourself from your main body?" Klein glanced at Lil' Amon with a subtle expression.
"No problem there. I may have cut ties with my main body, but I'm still an Angel of Time!" Lil' Amon looked at Klein, puzzled, as if he couldn't see any conflict.
Klein's mouth twitched, momentarily at a loss for how to respond. Deny that Lil' Amon was an Angel of Time? But he actually could be.
"Don't overthink it. You know how Lil' Amon is," Alaric said, patting Klein's shoulder. "Why don't you come up with a bold title for yourself? How about 'Greatest Adventurer'?"
"Whatever you say," Klein replied, shaking his head helplessly. He clearly didn't care much about it but asked casually, "What about you?"
"Hmm…" Alaric rubbed his chin for a second before saying, "Bright and Cheerful Scholar?"
Klein fell silent for a moment, unable to hold back. "Are you really that attached to your persona?"
"Of course. It's the essence of my soul," Alaric said matter-of-factly.
Lil' Amon, who had been listening, piped up, "No, no, if your titles are that long, I need a longer one too…" He furrowed his brow in thought.
Alaric blinked and suggested, "How about 'Lil' Angel of Time'? It sets you apart from your main body, gives you your own flair, and it's nice and long."
Klein immediately shot Alaric a look that said, "Are you serious?"
Lil' Amon, however, lit up visibly. "Not bad! I like it."
"???"
What kind of aesthetic is this?
Don't you all think the combination of "Greatest Adventurer," "Bright and Cheerful Scholar," and "Lil' Angel of Time" is just too absurd?
***
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